April 22, 2011

Chicken Mini Empanadas

This is a Sandra Lee recipe I pulled out of the Food Network magazine a few months ago. I whipped them up to bring to our friends Allison and Jordan's house for a potluck last weekend. We really liked these empanadas. I made one alteration to the original recipe (that was recommended in the reviews on the Food Network)--I added a little cream cheese to moisten the filling a little more. I would definitely make these again! Mini Chicken EmpanadasFor a printer-friendly version click here

Prepare the pie dough according to the package directions for a double-crust pie. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill. I used refrigerated pre-rolled pie crusts--keep them in the fridge until you need to roll them out.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken, salsa and olives. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Cool slightly.

On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the dough to inch thick. Using a 3-inch-round cutter, cut out 36 circles, rerolling the scraps as needed.

Place about 1 tablespoon chicken mixture in the center of each circle. Moisten the edges with water.

Fold the circles in half,

and pinch to seal.

Pierce the tops with a fork.

Place the empanadas on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot!